Fragmentary Inlay of Thoth as a Baboon

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Fragmentary Inlay of Thoth as a Baboon

Place of OriginEgypt

DateAncient body (Ptolemaic Period, 3rd–1st century BCE), modern head and legs

DimensionsMax H: 3 7/16 in. (8.7 cm); Max W: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm); Max Thickness: 7/16 in. (1.1 cm)
A: 1 11/32 in.; B: 1 1/16 in.; C: 2 in.

MediumGlass; cast in open, one-piece molds, cut on the body, applied and tooled decoration on the head and hindquarters, also cut on the face and foot.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1940.170A-C

Not on View

DescriptionA composite glass inlay in the form of a squatting baboon, comprised of three joined sections. The central body section (1940.170B) is of opaque turquoise-blue glass, cast in an open mold with a convex upper surface and flat underside; its edges are beveled for insertion. The surface of the body features a cut scale pattern. The head (1940.170A) and hindquarters (1940.170C) are of a disparate, opaque yellowish-green glass with opaque red details (mane, tail, and speckling). These outer sections are porous in texture compared to the smooth, dense glass of the central body. The figure is depicted in profile, seated with knees drawn up to the chest, representing the cynocephalus ape.

Label TextThis small figure represents a baboon, the sacred animal of Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom and writing. In ancient Egyptian art, such baboons often appear in scenes from the Book of the Dead, sitting atop the scales used to weigh the hearts of the deceased. While the central turquoise section of this inlay is a genuine ancient Egyptian artifact from the Ptolemaic Period (3rd–1st century B.C.), the head and legs are modern additions. They were likely created in the early 20th century to "complete" the broken fragment, making it more attractive to buyers. Scientific analysis reveals that the glass of the modern sections is porous and spongy, unlike the smooth, high-quality ancient glass of the body.Published ReferencesThe Toledo Museum of Art, Art in Glass: A Guide to the Glass Collections, Toledo, Ohio, 1969, p. 18, ill.

Grose, David F., Early Ancient Glass: Core-Formed, Rod-Formed, and Cast Vessels and Objects from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Roman Empire, 1600 B. C. to A. D. 50, New York: Hudson Hills Press in association with the Toledo Museum of Art, 1989, cat. no. 690, pp. 386-387.